[Babaganoosh]

I have noticed that some Blu-Ray players have no USB port at all, and for some (not all) that do, the port will only work with a USB *device* and not a thumb/flash drive (so the USB port can't be used for external storage). My question is this: Do these players - most of them are new, I think - have another way for dealing with titles that absolutely *require* external storage, like THX-1138?


For example, do the affected players have an internal 'hard drive' that can take the place of external USB storage? Or are titles like THX-1138 simply incompatible with such players?

 

[Selden Ball]

Exactly what player models have you seen with these limitations?


It sounds like you might be describing a profile 3 BD-Audio player, which would not need to include any of the features seen in BD-video players. While there has been at least one audio-only disc released, this is the first I've heard of what might be audio-only players. See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blu-ray_Disc#Player_profiles


It seems rather strange that audio-only players would be produced, considering how the prices of profile 5 (3D) players are plummeting. I suppose they'd be attractive to some audiophiles, but that's a very limited market.

 

[Babaganoosh]

I was not talking about audio-only players. I had no idea they even existed. I was referring to normal BR video units.


So what you're saying is, all BR players MUST have a USB port?


I have browsed the manuals of some of the current players that do. They make no mention of the USB port being used for storage, i.e. with a USB thumb drive. All they talk about is connecting USB devices, like a keyboard. So how can I tell if any given player which has a USB port, can use it for actual storage?


As I said, THX 1138 requires the presence of an external USB storage device. It won't play without one. So you can see the problem.

 

[wmcclain]

I've played THX 1138 with no storage apart from what's built in to my OPPO player. Where are you getting this info? Is this some special edition of the title?


-Bill

 

[Selden Ball]



Quote:
Originally Posted by Babaganoosh  /t/1414826/bd-players-with-no-usb-port#post_22118414


I was not talking about audio-only players. I had no idea they even existed. I was referring to normal BR video units.


So what you're saying is, all BR players MUST have a USB port?

While a player could be designed to provide enough internal memory to avoid the need for a USB port if the manufacturer should happen to want to do it that way, such a player certainly wouldn't be competitive in the current marketplace.

Quote:
I have browsed the manuals of some of the current players that do. They make no mention of the USB port being used for storage, i.e. with a USB thumb drive. All they talk about is connecting USB devices, like a keyboard. So how can I tell if any given player which has a USB port, can use it for actual storage?

Can you provide a link to a manual which doesn't mention USB storage?


Support for non-storage devices (like keyboards) is a relatively recent development, so I'd expect companies to make a point of mentioning that feature in competition with players that don't provide that support.

Quote:
As I said, THX 1138 requires the presence of an external USB storage device. It won't play without one. So you can see the problem.

Just because a manual doesn't mention it, doesn't mean USB storage isn't supported. As you can see in the various "profile" requirements described in the Wikipedia article, any BD player which supports either "BD Live" or 3D, must also support at least 1GB of storage. I doubt that Sony would allow companies to violate that licensing requirement. As an apparent cost-conainment measure, some current players actually provide no internal storage of their own, thus requiring users to purchase a USB flash drive to provide it if they want to use those features, but that storage is still "supported".

 

[Babaganoosh]



Quote:
Originally Posted by wmcclain  /t/1414826/bd-players-with-no-usb-port#post_22118495


I've played THX 1138 with no storage apart from what's built in to my OPPO player. Where are you getting this info? Is this some special edition of the title?

-Bill

No, it's the normal Blu-Ray edition.


I have just heard too many stories from users who can't get the disc to play until they add external USB storage, apparently the menu is so elaborate that it requires more storage than players offer internally. But nobody seems to know how much more storage is needed. Just the luck of the draw, really.


But the trouble is, they never say exactly how much internal storage, if any, that a given player has. So not only is it impossible to tell if a player's USB port can be used with a thumb drive, but you also can't tell if this title will play without one!


As for a link, here is an example. The tech specs do say this unit has one USB port, but only for "playback & communication camera." Storage is not mentioned anywhere in those specs.

 

[wmcclain]



Quote:
Originally Posted by Babaganoosh  /t/1414826/bd-players-with-no-usb-port#post_22118535

Quote:
Originally Posted by wmcclain  /t/1414826/bd-players-with-no-usb-port#post_22118495


I've played THX 1138 with no storage apart from what's built in to my OPPO player. Where are you getting this info? Is this some special edition of the title?

-Bill

No, it's the normal Blu-Ray edition.


I have just heard too many stories from users who can't get the disc to play until they add external USB storage, apparently the menu is so elaborate that it requires more storage than players offer internally. But nobody seems to know how much more storage is needed. Just the luck of the draw, really.

Have you tried the disc yourself yet? I forget if it has BD-Live. Turning off BD-Live in the player would be a good first step.


-Bill

 

[Babaganoosh]



Quote:
Originally Posted by wmcclain  /t/1414826/bd-players-with-no-usb-port#post_22118560


Have you tried the disc yourself yet?

It works in the BR player I have now (Sony 360). My question is whether any of the new players will support the title. I already have a USB drive, so that shouldn't be a problem. Like I said, though, it's not easy to tell if these new players support USB storage.

Quote:
I forget if it has BD-Live. Turning off BD-Live in the player would be a good first step.

I never use BD-Live anyway, so it won't be a problem if I can turn that off.

 

[Selden Ball]

The link you provided is just to a spec sheet. They're always incomplete.


The manual says

Quote:
USB device

≥ This unit does not guarantee connection with all

USB devices.

≥ This unit does not support USB device

charging.

≥ FAT12, FAT16, FAT32, and NTFS file systems

are supported.

≥ This unit supports USB2.0 High Speed.

≥ This unit can support an HDD formatted to

FAT32 and NTFS.

Some types of HDD may require the use of its

external power supply unit.

 

[Babaganoosh]

I see. So is it a safe bet to assume that any player that has a USB port, will support it for storage in the manner you just described?

 

[Selden Ball]

I believe so, yes. Otherwise it's defective. Sadly, a few defective units do wind up in customers' hands.